Snapshot: Sonicare Elite Premium Edition Toothbrush

Despite the name, the Sonicare Elite Premium Edition electric toothbrush is a return to an earlier age of Sonicare brushes. Built on older technology, it gambles that users will care more about a lower sticker price than fancy settings and modern conveniences.

If that all sounds familiar, it should. The Elite Premium Edition, at least at first glance, is virtually identical to the Sonicare Essence I’ve reviewed before.

There’s not much point in conducting a full review, so here’s the short version:

Amazon is offering a two-pack of these brushes for around $75 USD. That price is bound to change, but expect to see this product regularly on sale. That’s a great discount on the usual electric toothbrush sticker shock, but is it worth the effort?

It’s an old model.

I alluded to this earlier, but the brush is old technology. That means an older Ni-MH battery, a bulkier design, and an older brush head model that takes some maintenance to keep clean. Be sure to unscrew the brush head and wash it regularly.

ProResults brush heads and DiamondClean brush heads will not work with this toothbrush model. When you’re buying replacement brush heads, be sure to buy the right kind.

Keeping it simple.

Like the Sonicare Essence, the Sonicare Elite Premium Edition sticks to the basics: it brushes your teeth and it does it well, but it won’t do much else. Like with other Sonicare brushes, it features Quadpacer and Smartimer technology to let you know where and when to stop brushing, and eases you into using an electric toothbrush by gently increasing the power over your first weeks of use.

Unlike the Essence, however, it does have one special flourish. Like many of the newer brushes, it has a second “Massage mode” to stimulate the gums. That’s good to see on a budget brush.

World travelling.

The set includes two travel cases and their chargers are refreshingly compact, but the news isn’t all sunshine and roses. If you’re travelling in Europe, you’ll need a converter: the charger is rated 110/120v.

So, is it worth it?

Ultimately, that’s a question of personal preference. The older E-series brushes have been the workhorses of the Sonicare line for years. However, I like the convenience of the newer brush head design, so unless money was a serious factor my choice for a budget brush would be the Sonicare EasyClean.